Fitness industry veteran, Ray Wilson, has revealed plans to break into the mass deconditioned market with his Healthy Exercise clubs.
Wilson said his concept could double the number of health clubs in the world over the next six years.
Wilson and his business partner, Joe Ochoa, have spent the last two years and almost $2m developing the concept.
The pair are currently piloting the initiative by opening 3,000sq ft clubs with ‘efficient’ strength and cardio equipment.
The specialised equipment lets users change stations in just five seconds, allowing a 30-minute workout.
Each exercise takes 35 seconds with a recorded voice announcing station changes.
The Healthy Exercise clubs are for men and women and are located close to residential and business locations for convenience.
“The opening of over 7,000 Curves clubs is proof beyond any reasonable double that the deconditioned masses will respond when given a small non-intimidating club with non-intimidating equipment where everyone is doing the same short workout,” said Wilson.
“Putting these same short workouts in our large clubs will not succeed. We have tried it many times and it has failed each time.”
The solution is for the larger clubs to offer Healthy Exercise clubs as satellite clubs, said Wilson.
“These little sister clubs located two to three miles from their large parent clubs can take on the role of attracting, educating and conditioning the deconditioned masses and then graduating them to their larger parent clubs.
“It’s essential that these satellite clubs have a milder image than the body beautiful image of their parent clubs, so that deconditioned people feel it is just for them,” he said.
Wilson is convinced the concept will break into the mass deconditioned market in a huge way. “I am going to be the catalyst to lead a crusade to make sure our industry opens at least 10,000 of these small co-ed Healthy Exercise clubs in the next six years.
“Given the size of this market, it will probably be closer to 20,000 or 30,000 throughout the world,” he said.
Wilson received the Dale Dibble Distinguished Service Award at the International Health, Racquets and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) convention in Las Vegas, last month.
